The Best Lemon Blueberry Pound Cake Loaf

When you have an abundance of fresh berries, you know it is time to bake. This blueberry pound cake loaf uses a hefty amount of fresh blueberries and lemons for taste. The resulting cake is vibrantly flavored with a moist, tender crumb.

This classic pound cake loaf starts with flour, butter, sugar, and eggs, like my buttermilk pound cake. Heavy cream adds additional richness while lemon juice flavors and tenderizes the cake. Fresh blueberries burst within the cake as it bakes, creating a tasty allure. The finished cake is moist, tender, and brightly flavored.

Homemade blueberry pound cake has moist crumbs, the perfect density, and a delicious flavor with this simple recipe. Sweet lemon icing coats the cake with vibrant, fresh lemon flavor mimicking the famous lemon loaf from Starbucks. And like the lemon loaf, this cake pairs beautifully with coffee or tea.

I am confident this pound cake recipe will become a staple in your household. If you love this cake, you will also enjoy banana pound cake.

Fresh Blueberry Pound Cake Recipe

This classic pound cake recipe bakes in a loaf pan creating eight to ten servings. This small-batch cake is perfect for sharing or enjoying any day. Like the traditional recipe, this one utilizes a hefty quantity of sugar, butter, flour, and eggs to achieve the ideal dense-pound cake texture. Here is why you will love this buttery cake:

• Simple Ingredients - This easy cake recipe utilizes pantry and refrigerator staples. Fresh blueberries and lemons are available year-round, making this cake perfect for any day.
• Fresh Berries - If you are a blueberry lover like me, you buy too many fresh berries at the grocery store or market. This recipe is a great way to use them. Sweet blueberries infuse the cake with fresh fruit taste and color.
• Fresh Lemon Glaze - Pound cake is subtly sweet, making it the ideal candidate for a sugary glaze. This lemon icing uses lemon juice and fresh lemon zest for a bright citrus flavor accompanying the tart, sweet blueberries.

​Ingredients

• Cake Flour - Pound cake is a dense, heavy cake. Cake flour is lighter than all-purpose flour, so it keeps this cake light when combined with richer, heavier ingredients like eggs, butter, and cream.
• Baking Powder
• Salt
• Unsalted Butter (room temperature) - Pound cake needs butter to achieve its dense, melt-in-your-mouth appeal.
• Granulated Sugar
• Lemon Juice - Fresh lemon juice provides flavor and acidity to the cake and glaze.
• Lemon Zest (freshly grated)
• Large Eggs (room temperature) - The classic pound cake has equal parts butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. While for this recipe, that is not entirely true, there are plenty of eggs in the cake batter to create the classic dense, heavy texture and golden color.
• Heavy Whipping Cream - Heavy cream provides moisture, richness, and flavor.
• Pure Vanilla Extract
• Fresh Blueberries - Use fresh or frozen blueberries for the cake batter. If using frozen, do not defrost them but add them to the cake batter still frozen.
• Powdered Sugar - The base of the lemon glaze comes from powdered sugar. Be sure to sift the sugar before using it to remove any clumps.
• Milk - Milk combines with lemon juice to create lemon icing.

See the recipe card for the ingredient quantities.

Instructions

STEP 1 (PREPARE) - Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and line a 9x5-inch loaf pan with parchment paper. Coat the blueberries in the extra tablespoon of flour in a small bowl.

STEP 3 (CREAM THE BUTTER) - Cream butter and granulated sugar at high speed using an electric mixer and the paddle attachment until light and fluffy, about 3-5 minutes.

STEP 4 (WET INGREDIENTS) - Turn the speed to medium and add the vanilla, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Add the eggs, one at a time. Pour in the heavy cream and mix until combined. Note: The batter may appear curdled at this point, but it will come together once the dry ingredients are incorporated.

STEP 5 (CAKE BATTER) - Add the flour mixture and mix just until incorporated. Fold in the blueberries.

STEP 6 (BAKE) - Pour the cake batter into the prepared loaf pan and bake for 50-60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack.

STEP 7 (LEMON GLAZE) - Combine the powdered sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice, and milk until a glaze forms. Drizzle the icing over the cooled cake to coat. Allow the icing to set for 10-15 minutes before serving the cake.

Ingredient Substitutions

• Heavy Whipping Cream - Buttermilk, Whole Milk, Sour Cream (full fat)
• Fresh Lemons - Limes (juice and zest), Oranges (juice and zest)
• Pure Vanilla Extract - Almond Extract
• Blueberries - Blackberries, Raspberries
• Add-Ins - White Chocolate Chips

Suggested Equipment

• KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
• OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
• Rubber Spatula
• Nonstick Baking Bread Loaf Pan, 9.5 x 5-inch
• Microplane Grater

Storage

Store cooled blueberry pound cake in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap at room temperature for up to one week.

Delicious Cake Recipes

• Triple Berry Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Lemon Curd Cake
• Pumpkin Crumb Cake
• Blueberry Crumb Cake

Expert Tips

1. Use room-temperature eggs and butter.
2. Spoon and level the dry ingredients when measuring them to prevent a dry cake.
3. Coat the blueberries in a tablespoon of flour to keep them from sinking to the bottom of the cake.
4. Refrain from over-mixing the cake batter once the dry ingredients have been added.
5. Bake the pound cake in a preheated oven.
6. Sift the powdered sugar before making the glaze to prevent sugar clumps in the icing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use frozen blueberries to make blueberry pound cake?You can use fresh or frozen berries to make pound cake. When using frozen berries in cake, do not defrost them. Add the frozen berries straight to the cake batter. *Baking times may vary when using frozen berries.

Why should I coat the blueberries in flour?Coating the berries in flour absorbs some of the berries' moisture, preventing them from sinking to the bottom of the cake and helping them cling to the wet cake batter.

Can you freeze a pound cake?Transfer cooled cake or cake slices to a freezer-safe bag or wrap them in plastic wrap. Freeze the cake for up to 3 months - thaw the cake completely before eating. For best results, freeze the cake before topping it with the icing and glaze it after it is thawed.

Why is my pound cake dry?Good pound cake is supposed to be heavy and dense, but it should not be dry. It is likely that you over-baked the cake or mismeasured the ingredients.

If you make the recipe, don’t forget to rate the recipe, and let me know what you think in the comments below! Take pictures, tag and share them with me on Instagram or Facebook.